Obama Hails End Of Gaddafi Regime

Hours after the first reports involving the capture and killing of ousted Libyan ruler Moammar Gaddafi surfaced, President Obama proudly confirmed the end of Gaddafi’s era.

Speaking to reporters in the White House Rose Garden, Obama called Gaddafi’s reported death an opportunity for the Libyan people, and encouraged them to capitalize on their chance to start fresh under a new regime.

“The dark shadow of tyranny has been lifted and with this enormous promise, the Libyan people now have a great responsibility to build an inclusive, tolerant and democratic Libya that stands as the ultimate rebuke of Gaddafi’s dictatorship,” Obama said.

After a popular revolt against Gaddafi began in February, the White House and its allies abroad, namely Great Britain and France, began pushing for a United Nations resolution to allow NATO to impose a no-fly zone over the tiny North African nation. After the UN voted to approve the resolution, the U.S. commenced military force against the Gaddafi regime on March 19, handing control of the campaign to NATO allies less than two weeks later.

With NATO successfully taking out Gaddafi’s military assets, rebel forces were able to slowly make progress against the regime. Despite some setbacks, by August the rebels had captured the capital of Tripoli. And in September, both the UN and the African Union had officially recognized Libya’s National Transitional Council as the country’s legitimate governing body.

Gaddafi’s exact whereabouts during the last several weeks had been unknown. Yet, this morning a top military source with the NTC told Reuters that Gaddafi had been killed by rebel forces, who found him inside a storm drain near the town of Sirte. Shortly thereafter, NATO spokesman Col. Roland Lavoie released a statement saying that “NATO aircraft struck two pro-Qadhafi forces military vehicles which were part of a larger group maneuvering in the vicinity of Sirte.”

“These armed vehicles were conducting military operations and presented a clear threat to civilians,” Lavoie added.

Obama did not say that Gaddafi had been killed, nor did he offer any specific details regarding the circumstances of Gaddafi’s capure. However, he stated with certainty that “the Gadhafi regime has come to end.”

While the scene outside the White House today was remarkably more serene than back in May when the world learned that al-Qadea leader Osama bin Laden had been killed, the fall of Gaddafi marks a significant achievement for Obama and his team of advisors who supported the use of military force against the man former President Ronald Reagan famously dubbed “The Mad dog of the Middle East.”

From the outset, Obama’s decision to go into Libya was challenged heavily by Republicans on Capitol Hill and on the campaign trail, who accused the president of waiting too long to act. An advisor to the president described his Libya strategy as an example of “leading from behind,” and others questioned why the president gave so much control of the mission so early on to America’s Eurpoean allies.

However, in the end, figures released by the Pentagon today show that the administration spent just a little over $1 billion on the campaign. And more importantly, no American blood was shed in the effort.
According to the Associated Press, NATO will decide in the next couple of days when to end its mission.

The full picture of what happens next in Libya is far from clear, however. In addition to questions involving who will take control of the country, there are concerns that large quantities of weapons, including shoulder-to-air missiles, also known as MANPADS, are currently unaccounted for and could end up in the wrong hands.

To that point, Obama pledged continued U.S. support of the NTC and others working to transform the nation into a democratic society.

“There will be difficult days ahead,” cautioned the president. “But the United States is committed to the Libyan people. You have won your revolution and now we will be a partner as you forge a future that provides dignity, freedom and opportunity.”

Benny Martinez contributed to this story…